Typewriting machine



Jan. 3, 1939. w. F. HELMOND TYPEWRTTING MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 3, 1939. w. F, HELMOND TYPEWRITING' MACHINE Original Filed Dec. 2, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l ne.

fnl/w1 for: JOM/IMK Patented Jan. 3, 1939 UNETED Siia TWEWRIITING MACHINE William F. Heimond, 'West Hartford, Conn., as-

signor to 'Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improved means for adjusting the platen toward or from the normal printing-plane of the types, in accordance with the number of work-sheets being typed upon.

: The improved platen-adjusting means include a 19 machine, where said shaft presents a handle by which it may be manipulated. Springs force the carriage so that said cam-following abutment always bears against the cam, whereby the position of the carriage-support and hence of the :345 platen depends on the angular position of said cam-shaft as determined by said handle and a co-operative detent.

The guiding of the front part of said carriagesupport may be eifected in a known manner. At

the rear portion of the slidable support, improved means are employed for slidably guiding said rear portion, to the end that requisite alignment of the rear of the slidable support and rear guiding means may be facilitated and the parts constituting such rear guiding means simpliiied.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 700,646, filed December 2, 1933, (now Patent No, 2,074,333, dated March 23, 1937).

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear. Y

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation view, showing `details of the improvements for guiding the carriage-support at its rear for fore-and-aft adjustment.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of a noiseless typewriter, the section being taken through the middle of the machine, and showing the rotatable camy and the related parts electing an adjustment of the platen.

Figure 3 is a top plan View, showing details o-f the improved means for guiding the platencarriage support at its rear portion for fore-andaft adjustment in accordance with the number of work-sheetsv on the platen. The view also shows details of the improved means manually operable for making the carriage-support adjustment.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side View, showing arrangement of a handle and detent whereby the carriage-support adjustment is manipulated and gaged.

Figure 5 is a side elevation view of the typewriter, incorporating the improved carriage-sup- 65 port adjustment.

(Cl. 19T-149) The invention is applied to a noiseless typewriter such as shown in the patent to Going "1,682,339 of August 28, 1928, and includes typelieys il operable to move upper and lower case types 2 and 2i' to print upon a platen 24.

In Figures 2 and 3 there is shown a cross-bar or platform i3 fastened by screws 44 to sidemembers l5 of the machine-frame I5. Upon said platform i3 rests a bolster lil, which supports a platen-carriage ill by means of a rock- 1U shaft il, journaled in lugs 49 of said bolster. Arms of said rock-shaft i8 enable the latter, when operated by a case-shift key-train, not shown herein but described in Patent No. l,66i,799, dated March 6, 1928, to Going, to raise and lower a track-bar 5! along which the platencarriage liti runs.

The bolster 4l extends from side to side of the machine-frame l5, see Figure 3, and, is guided for fore-and-aft adjustment of the platen on a 20 slight incline. Fore-and-aft adjusting movement of the bolster is effected by improved means, which will be described later, and which are manipulatable for the usual purposeof bringing the platen forward or rearward, in accordance with 25 the number of superposed work-sheetspositioned around the platen, it being understood that the type-carriers 2i) have the limited printing-movement which is characteristic of printing quietly by pressure. 30

Only the middle portion of the bolster 41 rests directly upon the platform 43, as at 52, the end bolster-portions bein-g above raised seats 53 at the ends of the platform 43, and bearing against said seats by means of screw-studs 54, adjustable 35 in the bolster for the purpose of properly seating the bolster on said platform 43, To retain the bolster i? against upward displacement, said bolster has a forwardly-projecting ledge 56 slidably abutting an overlying segment 5i, which also 40 supports the mountings (not shown) for the typebars fill. The segment 5l has arms 6B, (Figures 2 and 3, whereby said vsegment is secured to the platform d3 by screws 6i. The bolster-ledge 56 is of such length as to slidably tbetween the 45 segment-arms 5d, the bolster being thereby retained at its front portion against lateral displacement. The bolster extends substantially toward the rear of the machine. At the middle portion thereof the bolster li'i extends rearwardly 50 and upwardly forming a transverse wall 9| joined to rearwardly-turned side-walls 92 to form a channel 93. The usual rail 230 of the carriage is shown to bear against the wall 9| of the bolster ii to support the carriage as the types 26 vor42'l 55 print by pressure against the platen 24. The upper part of the transverse wall 9| has a recess 94 to admit a forwardly-reaching tongue, which forms a counter-stop 95, co-operative with margin-stops 96 of the carriage 40. Said tongue or stop 95 is bent forwardly from an arm 91, which is seen edgewise, and is only shown in such part in Figure 2 as to indicate its improved form. The operation of said arm 91 for margin-releasing and key-locking may be eiected by means of parts, not shown, but which may be along the lines used in prior machines and described in Patent 1,255,571, to Anderson, dated February 5, 1918. The side-Walls 92 extend under a tabulator stop-rack 98 and have flanges |0| to which is attached, by screws |02, a column-like housing |03 which supports parts of a novel tabulating mechanism fully described in my original application of December 2, 1933, Serial No. 700,646, now Patent 2,074,333, dated March 23, 1937.

It will be seen now that the bolster 41 and some of the parts supported overhang the bolstersupporting platform 43 rearwardly to a substantial extent. In addition, therefore, to supporting and slidably guiding the bolster 41 at its forward portion by means of the platform 43, the segment 51, the segment-arms 60, and the bolster-studs 54 bearing on the platform-seats 53, the platform-overhanging portion of the bolster is also supported vertically and laterally and slidably'guided by novel means organized as an impro-vement over bolster-guiding means employed in previous machines and which novel means will now be described.

Joined to the rear portions of the machineframe side-members 45 is a cross-plate |05 clearing the tabulator-mechanism housing |03 as at |05, Figure 2, but rising at the sides of said housing to present lugs |01 extended forwardly, and inwardly toward one another, to underlie edges |08, Figure 1, of the side-walls 92 which form the channel 93 of the bolster. Said lugs |01 have adjustable studs |09 against which the edges |08 slidably abut, said edges extending in the direction in which the bolster 41 is adjusted fore and aft. The adjustment of the studs |09 compensates for variations in the height of said edges 08 due to manufacturing tolerances. The cross plate |05 is also extended upwardly to present lugs opposite the outer sides of the side-walls 92. There is secured to each wall 92 a plate or keeper ||2 which, by reason of elongate screw-holes ||3 therein, is adjustable in the direction in which the studs |09 are adjusted, keeper-fastening screws 4 passing through said elongate holes 3. Each keeper 2 has a slot ||5 whose edges extend parallel to the side-wall edges |08 and slidably nt the inner end ||6 of a screw-stud ||1 threaded crosswise of the lug as seen in Figure 3. The keepers ||2 and crosswise extending screw-studs ||1 thus co-operate with the edges |08 and studs |09 to retain the rear portion of the bolster against vertical displacement, and said screw-studs ||1 also retain the rear portion of the bolster against lateral displacement, the screw-studs being micrometrically adjustable endwise to abut the side-walls 92 to take up all lateral play at the rear of the bolster 41. For such endwise abutment with said bolster-side walls 92, the screwstuds ||1 may have iianges 9 which bear against the outer sides of the plates ||2. Setscrews |20 hold the screw-studs ||1 in adjusted positions and lock-nuts |2I maintain the adjustment of the studs |09. It will be seen now that the parts for slidably supporting the platformoverhanging portion of the bolster are of simple and inexpensive character and may nevertheless be easily manipulated and aiford micrometric adjustments in all necessary directions in order to free the front portion of the bolster from liability of binding in the guiding means aorded by the platform 43 and related guiding parts for the front of the bolster.

In adjusting the described means whereby the platform-overhanging portion of the bolster is slidably guided, the procedure is preferably as follows: With the screws ||4 loosened for both keepers H2, the screw-studs |09 are raised or lowered by turning them micrometrically until the bolster moves without binding in the guides afforded by the platform 43 and related parts. The lock-nuts |2| are then tightened. The screw-studs ||1 are then moved in or out to micrometrically take up all lateral play at the rear portion of the bolster 41, it being understood that for this purpose the screw-stud flanges ||9 bear against the keepers or plates ||2. The latter are then tightened in such position by their screws |4 that the lower edges of their slots ||5 slidingly abut the peripheries of inner ends H6 of the screw-studs |I1, thereby retaining the rear end of the platform-overhanging portion of the bolster against upward displacement. The screw-studs ||1 are then locked by the setscrews |20. It will be understood that, after these adjustments have been made, the screwstuds |09 remain in abutment with the bolsteredges |08, and are not backed off from the latter, since it is not desired that the upper edges of the keeper-slots |5 be depended on to support the bolster.

Referring now to the improved means for shifting the bolster 41 for platen-position adjustment, a cam-shaft |23 extends from the middle of the machine toward and through the machineframe side-member 45 to present at the side of the latter a handle or crank |24 for manually rotating said cam-shaft. At the middle of the machine the cam-shaft |23 has fastened thereto or formed integrally therewith a cam |25. It is desired that means for journaling the cam-shaft |23 at its crank-end and retaining it endwise, and means for releasably detenting the cam-shaft in different angular positions be combined in a unitary assembly easily placeable in or removable from the machine, in order to reduce manufacturing and servicing costs; and to these ends the following construction may be employed.

Fastened to the top of the side-members 45 by screws |29, and forming part of the frame I5, are plates |30 extending inwardly toward one another, and rigidly joined to a yoke |3| to form a bridge, which supports a type-guide |32, Flgure 2. At the middle portion of the yoke |3| of the bridge, there is a pair of lugs |33, |34, for journaling the cam-shaft |23 at points contiguous to the cam |25. The lug |33 gives a full bearing for an inner end |35 of the cam-shaft, but, as indicated in Figures 2 and 3, the other lug, |34, bears only part way around the back ci the cam-shaft in order to permit the camshaft |23 to be withdrawn or entered endwise without interference between the cam 25 and lug |34, the bolster 41 being movable forward a little to enable the cam |25 to pass the lug |34. A block |26, embodying said lugs |33, |34, is fastened to the yoke 3| by screws |21.

At the crank-end of the cam-shaft, the latter is journaled in a hub |36 of a plate |31, fastened to the outer side of the side-member i5 by screw1 |39. The crank it@ is fastened to the cam-shaft |23, and carries at its end a knob Mil spring pressed. and mounted as shown in Figure 3, said knob having a stem MI, which may be entered in or withdrawn from 4any one of a series of holes |42 located in the plate i3? to determine and maintain different angular positions of the cam-shaft |23. The-latter is maintained against endwise displacement, when the parts are positioned in the machine, by abutment of the crank |24 with the outer end of the hub |36, and by abutment of a shaft-collar i133 with the inner end of the hub. The plate |3l may have Stops |44 to limit the swing of the crank |24 in opposite directions.

It will be seen now that the described parts at the crank-end of the cam-shaft are together with the cam-shaft |23 and its cam B25, assembled as a unit which is easily placed in the machine and easily removed therefrom.

The bolster ll has an abutment bearing on the cam said abutment being preferably in the form of a screw ille threaded in a plate |47 fastened to the bolster il by screws 48. The end of the abutment-screw i555, and therefore .the bolster ill', follows the cam 25, inasmuch as said bolster is pressed rearwardly, toward cam |25, by suitable springs such as leaf-springs |49 fastened at one end to the key-lever bar by screws lili, the other'ends of the springs ifi. pressing upon studs |52 of the bolster als= prevent the leaf-springs from turning.

For single work-sheet typing, the cam-shaft |23 is in such angular position, as seen in Figure 2, that the highest point of the cam S25 is opposite the abutment-screw ii. In correspondence with said primary angular position of the cam-shaft, said abutment-screw E will have been initially adjusted to bring the printingface of the platen 2li to such position that the types 2S, 2? make proper impression upon the single work-sheet. With the earn-shaft 23 thus set for normal or single-sheet printing-position., the stem lili of the crank |251 will be in the first hole |45 of the datent-plate i3?.

It will be seen now that as the cani-shaft crank i'ii is rotated from the irst hole lf2-,5 to other hole-positions, the cam 25 will be rotated. clockwise of Figure 2, thereby causing the bolster and hence the platen. 2li to be shifted rearwardly under the influence of the bolster-springs idg, the extent of the rearward shift depending on the contour of the cam 25, and its angular position as determined by means of the detenta-holes It will also be seen that as the cam-shaft E23 is rotated counterclockwise from any hole 9&2 other` than the first hole |45, the cam die will force the bolster forwardly against the pressure of the springs MS, thereby also bringing the platen forwardly.

The improvements in the means for adjusting the platen Eil afford important benets, it being noted that said platen-adjusting means are simple in character, and nevertheless efcient in operation.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a typewriting machine, the con'ibinationy with the machine-frame, a platen, types having a limited throw toward the platen, a platencarriage, and a bolster mounting said carriage,Avi

said bolster mounted in said framefor fore-andaft movement for regulating the platen-position relative to the printing-plane of said types, of a sister-adjusting cam-shaft extending crosswise f the machine to project an en-d through the side of said frame for manual rotation of said shaft, a single cani connected to the said shaft and engaging the said bolster substantially inidbetween the sides of the frame, and a bridge supported by said frame and affording a firmly ^l earing for said shaft contiguous to said ig-connection, whereby, by varying the einer position of said cam-shaft having said le comming-connection to the bolster, said tion of the platen relative to the printingpiane of the types is determinable in accordance with the number of work-sheets on the platen.

ln a typewriting machine, the combination i the machine-frame, a platen, types having limited throw toward the platen, a platencarriage, and a bolster mounting sai-d carriage, bolster mounted in said frame for fore-andait movement for regulating the platen-position relative to the printing-plane of said types, of a bolster-adjusting cam-shaft extending crosswise of the machine to project an end through the side of said frame for manual rotation of said shaft, said shaft having a single peripheral cam located substantially midway between the sides oi said frame. said bolster having an abutment for following the cam and being spring-pressed toward said and a bearing supported by said frame and journaling said cani-shaft at a point contiguous to said cam and so that said cam-shaft may be entered or withdrawn endwise into or from said bearing through said side of the rame in which said shaft is also journaled, whereby, by varying the angular position of said cam-shaft having said single cam, said position of the platen relative to the printing-plane of the types is determinable in accor-dance with the numb of work-sheets on the platen.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2, said cam-following abutment being screw threaded in the bolster to bear endwise on said cam, said screw being adjustable to initially adjust the bols and therefore the platen relatively to a pri- .J position of the cam-shaft.

The invention as set forth in claim 2, said side of the frame having removably fastened thereto a member in which said shaft is jouragainst which said shaft bears for retention endwise, said shaft having a crank ewanged to releasaloly engage said member at erent stations, to thereby hold the shaft in different angular positiens, said member, shaft and er lr forming a preassembled unit readily placee or detachable from the machine.

5. In a typewriting machine having a platencarriage bolster adjustable fore and aft relatively to the printing-plane of the types, and

guides presented by the machine-framework. to slidably mount and retain said bolster against vertical and lateral displacement at its front portion; miorornetrically-adjustable means for guiding the rear portion of said bolster which extends beyond and overhanes said guides, said including, in combination, devices screwcontrolled for micrometric adjustment in height and on which said rear bolster-portion slidably rests, and devices engaging opposite sides of said rear bolster-portion and screw-controlled for micrometrio adjustment to take up side play, whereby the position of said rear overhanging bolster-portion may be inely and quickly adjusted laterally and vertically to secure free movement of the front bolster-portion in said fixed guides.

6. In a typewriting machine having a platencarriage bolster adjustable fore and aft relatively to the printing-plane of the types, and xed guides presented by the machine-framework to slidably mount and retain said bolster` against vertical and lateral displacement at its front portion; micrometrically-adjustable means for guiding the rear portion of said bolster which extends beyond and overhangs said guides, said means including, in combination, upstanding laterallyspaced screw-studs mounted at the rear of the machine-frame, said rear bolster-portion slidably resting on said studs, and a pair of transversely-extending screw-studs also mounted at the rear of said frame and bearing against opposite sides of said rear bolster-portion to take up lateral play, said upstanding and said transverse screw-studs being micrometrically adjustable to respectively seat the rear overhanging bolster-portion at such elevation and to guide the same laterally without play so as to secure free movement of the front portion of the bolster in said xed guides.

7. In a typewriting machine having a platencarriage bolster adjustable fore and aft relatively to the printing-plane of the types, and fixed guides presented by the machine-frame- Work to slidably mount and retain said bolster against vertical and lateral displacement at its front portion; micrometrically-adjustable means for guiding the rear portion of said bolster which extends beyond and overhangs said guides, said means including, in combination, upstanding laterally-spaced screw-studs mounted at the rear of the machine-frame, said rear bolster-portion slidably resting on said studs, a pair of transversely-extending screw-studs also mounted at the rear of said frame and bearing against opposite sides of said rear bolster-portion to take up lateral play, said upstanding and said transverse screw-studs being micrometrically adjustable to respectively seat the rear overhanging bolster-portion at such elevation and to guide the same laterally without play so as to secure free movement of the front portion of the bolster in said fixed guides, and keepers shiftably secured to the sides of said rear bolster-portion to contact said transverse studs peripherally, and thereby retain the rear bolster-portion against upward displacement.

8. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a machine-frame, a work-sheet supporting platen, types having a controlled throw toward the platen, a platen-carriage, and a bolster mounting said carriage, of means for adjusting the position of the bolster and therefore the position of the platen relatively to the printing plane of the said types in accordance with the number of sheets to be typed upon, said means including a cam, a rotatable shaft mounted upon the machine-frame bearing the said cam, an adjusting crank for the said shaft, means to detent said shaft and therefore also the cam in a number of crank-adjusted positions including a primary position, and supplemental adjustable means associated with the said cam for also adjusting the position of the platen relatively to the printing plane, whereby, in effecting a supplemental adjustment, the proper printing relation can be established between the platen and the printing plane, for typing upon a single sheet with the said cam set to primary position.

9. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a machine-frame, a platen, types having a controlled throw toward the platen, a platencarriage and a bolster mounting said carriage, said bolster mounted in said frame for fore-andaft movement for regulating the platen-position relative to the printing-plane of said types, of a bolster-adjusting cam located substantially midways between the sides of said frame, a shaft upon which said cam is mounted, said shaft being settable to different angular positions including a primary position, a frame-supported bridge, aiiording a fixed bearing for said cam-shaft contiguous to the said cam and an adjustable camengaging abutment on the said bolster, whereby the bolster and consequently the platen can be adjusted relative to the printing plane, and to the said primary position of the cam, by adjusting the said abutment, and whereby the position of the said platen, relative to the said printing plane, is determinable in accordance with the number of sheets on the platen, by setting the cam-shaft.

WILLIAM F. HELMOND. 

